By-pass arrangement for typewriter actions



Dec. 5, 1961 w. P. RYAN ETAL 3,011,617

BY-PASS ARRANGEMENT FOR TYPEWRITER ACTIONS Filed Jan. 17, 1961.

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INVENTORS WILLIAM 9 RYAN EWARD u BY ag AT ORNEYS United-States Patent I 3,011,617 BY-PASS ARRANGEMENT FOR TYPEWRITIER ACTIONS William P. Ryan, Avon, Conn., and Edward 5. Wu, East Orange, N.J., assignors to Royal McBee Corporation, Port Chester, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 83,295 9 Claims. (Cl. 197-17) This invention relates to a novel non-repeat arrangement for typewriter actions, and more particularly relates to an improved by-pass means for preventing repeat operations when a key of an electric typewriter is held in a depressed position.

One object of the instant invention is to provide a novel construction for a type action whereby a part of the key control means for causing engagement of the power roll engaging member and the rotating power roll of the typewriter is constructed so as to be inherently capable of lateral deflection so as to serve as a means for preventing repeat cyclic operations of the type action.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel non-repeat arrangement for an electric typewriter action whereby the by-pass action is obtained by a lateral movement of an extension fixed on the key lever of the type action. I

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel non-repeat device for electric typewriter actions whereby a single key control arm is used which is substantially rigid when subjected to a force that is disposed in a longitudinal plane but which is yieldable when subjectedto a force that is disposed in a lateral plane.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved by-pass arrangement for an electric typewriter action whereby one portion of the key control linkage for triggering said action is adapted to be cammed laterally to and retained in an inoperative position during every cyclic operation of the driven parts of said action.

v e 3,01 1,617 Patented De s, 1.961

V 13 is a roll cam 17 having an eccentric roughened pe- Another object of the invention is to provide a novel type action for electric typewriters whereby an action triggering arm is moved to and held in an inoperative position whenever the'power driven linkage is away from its normal rest position.

I Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this invention will be-readiiy appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the figures thereof and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view taken in partial section and shows the principal parts of the instant type action. 7 e 1 FIGURE 2 is a plan view taken along sectionline 22 of FIGURE '1.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the camming lug on the type bar actuating linkage.

FIGURE 4 is an active view of the apparatus shown in FIGURE 2. v e Unless otherwise indicated it will be assumed that the various parts shown and/or described are conventionally mounted on the typewriter frame by any suitable means.

Referring toFIGURES 1, 2 and/or 3 there is shown a type bar 10 which is pivotally mounted on the segment wire 11 and which is adapted to be driven by a type bar actuating linkage having a link 12 which is articulately connected. between the type bar. 10 and a lever 13 that has its lower end pivotally supported on the machine frame 14 by any suitable means. The type bar 10 is yieldably biased towards the normal rest position shown in FIGURE 1 by means of a spring operated link 15. Pivotally mounted as by means of a stud 16 on the lever riphery 18 that is adapted to beswung into frictional engagement with the outer cylindricalsurface 20 of a rubber coated power roll 21 which is continuously rotated in a counter clockwise direction. Roll cam 17 is provided with an ear 22 which is bent slightly out of the plane of the roll cam so as to underlie an adjacent rearwardly extending stop 23 formed on the lever 13. A spring 24 biases the roll cam to a normal counter clockwise position wherein the car 22 engages said stop 23 as shown in FIGURE 1. The construction and operation of the above described type bar actuating linkage is more or less conventional and needs no further explanation here.

A forwardly extending finger or shoulder '25 formed on roll cam 17 overlies the free end 26 of a triggering or actuating arm 27 that is fixedly secured at its forward end to a key lever 28. The key lever is pivotally mounted on the machine frame byany suitable means, such as by a shaft 30, and is biased to a normal upper position by a suitable frame anchored spring 31. The greater portion of the length of the actuating arm 27 is made of relatively thin resilient material so that although the arm 27 is substantially rigid in its own plane, the free end thereof is laterally flexible in a direction that is substantially normal to said plane. Here this planar rigidity enables the arm to trigger the type action while the lateral flexure permits an efiicient by-pass or nonrepeat action to occur as willbe described below.

The lever 13 is formed'with a forwardly extending projection 32 on which is provided a laterally extending camming lug 33, FIGURE 3, said lug being normally disposed just to the rear of the rearm'ost edge 34 of said roll earn actuating arm 27. An adjustable screw 35 mounted on the machine frame 14 has'an upper end '36 that is adapted, during the operation of the type action, to be engaged bya shoulder 37 formed on the lower edge of the roll cam 17 so as to effectively disengage the roll earn from the power roll '21. p

In operation when the key-lever 28 is depressed the resultant upward movement of the free end 26 of the actuating arm 27 will serve to swing the roll cam 17 in a clockwise direction against the action of'spring 24 and into operative engagement with the rotating power roll. Thereafter the type'bar 10 will be power driven through an operative printing stroke and will then be spring returned to its normal FIGURE 1 position in the usual manner. At the beginning of the power stroke the forwardly swinging camming lug 33 will engage and laterally deflect the free end 26 of arm 27 out of coplanar relation with respect to the roll cam finger 25 as illustrated in FIGURE 4. If the key lever 28 is allowed to return to its normal position before completion of the typing operation then when the lever 13 finally returns to its normal rest position shown in FIGURE 1 the free end 26 of the laterally deflected actuating arm will be able to snapbackinto an operative position underneath the, lower edge of'the lever finger 25 'and'will then be capable of initiating a second power stroke of the type bar.- "If the key lever 28 is held depressed until after completion of the typing operation'then the now elevated free end 26 of the actuating arm when permitted by the j camming lug'33 to move laterally back to an undeflected condition will engage theside face of the roll cam finger 25, In this condition of the parts a repeat action is impossible in that there is no way for-the roll 6am to thereafter initiate another power stroke of the type bar in response 'to a second depression of the key lever 28.

As will be apparent the longitudinally rigid but laterally yieldable triggering arm 27 provides a very inexpensive, simple and efiicient by-pass or non-repeat arrangement for the instant type action. Exhaustive tests show that a type action incorporating the above described features has a very long and reliable life.

'While there is in this application specifically described one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood'that this form of the same is shown for purposes of illustration only and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit or the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

l. A type action comprising a type bar actuating linkage, drive means for power operating said linkage, a key operated linkage for controlling the coupling of said type bar actuating linkage with said drive means, said key operated linkage including an arm assembly which structurally is substantially rigid in one plane so as to be capable'of transmitting control movement from said key operated linkage to engage said type bar actuating linkage with said drive means and which is flexible in a different plane between operative and inoperative positions, and means for'defiecting said arm assembly to its inoperative position in response to every operative stroke of said type bar actuating linkage.

2. A type action comprising a rotatably driven power roll, a type bar' actuating, linkage, said linkage including a roll cam that 'is adapted to operatively' engage said power roll, key operated means adapted to control the engagement of said roll cam with said power roll, said hey operated means including a member at least a portion of which is normally rigid in its own plane so as .to be capable of transmitting control movement from said key operated means to said rollcam whereby the latter maybe displaced into operative engagement with said power roll,lsaid member also being laterally flexible, and means for deflecting said member to a non-repeat position in response to the movement of said type bar actuating linkage.

3. A type action for electric typewriters comprising a type bar actuating linkage, drive means for power operat-- .ing said type bar actuating linkage, key operated means for controlling the engagement of said type bar actuating linkage with said drive means, said key operated means including an arm which structurally. is substantially rigid in one plane so as to be capable of transmitting those control movements of said key operated means which serve to operatively couple said linkage and said drive means, at least av portion of said arm being flexible in a direction laterally disposed with respect to said plane so as to be capable of being deflected to an inoperative non-repeat position, and means on said type bar actuating linkage for deflecting said arm to said inoperative position in response to the. forward printing stroke of said linkage. I a e V I 4. Apparatus as defined by claim 3 wherein said means on said linkage includes a cam which laterally deflects said arm in response to each movement of said linkage away .from its normal position and which is adapted to hold said arm in its said inoperative deflected position until said linkage is restored to its normal position.

.5. In a type action for electric typewriters, agpower roll, a type bar actuating linkage including a roll cam that is adapted to beswunginto peripheral engagement ;with said power roll so as to power operate saidlinkage, 'key controlled means -for swinging said roll cam into cam but which is laterally flexible so as' to be capable of being deflected to an inoperative position wherein it is unable to swing each roll cam, and means on said type bar actuating linkage for laterally displacing said arm to said inoperative position in response to a printing stroke of said linkage and for holding said arm in said inoperative position until said linkage has been restored to its normal rest position. I

6. In a type action for electric typewriters, a rotatably driven power roll, a type bar actuating linkage including a roll cam that is adapted to be moved into'operative driving engagement with said power roll, a key lever, an arm mounted on said key lever and having a free end which is normally substantially adjacent to and coplanar with said roll cam, said arm being structurally rigid in its own plane so as to be capable of transmitting control movements from said key lever to said roll cam but also being yieldable in a direction substantially normal to said plane, and means on said type bar actuating linkage for displacing said free end of said arm to a laterally deflected inoperative position in responseto the movement of said linkage.

7. Apparatus as defined by claim 6 wherein said means includes a cam which is adapted to deflect-the free end of said arm to said inoperative position when said type bar actuating linkage is moved away from its normal position and which holds said free arm end in said inoperative position until said type bar actuating linkage is restored to its normal position whereupon said arm end may again assume its normal operative position when said key lever is restored to its normal position.

8. In a type action for electric typewriters a frame, a rotatably driven power. roll, a type bar-actuating linkage mounted on said frame and including a pivotally mounted roll cam that is adapted to engage said power roll so as to drive said linkage, said roll cam having'a .shoulder formed thereon, a key lever pivotally mounted on said frame, an arm connected for movement with said lever and having a free end which is normally disposed adjacentto and substantially coplanar with said roll cam shoulder, said armbeing structurally rigid in one plane so as to be capable of transmitting control motion from said key lever to said roll cam but also being flexible so that its said free end may yieldably move to an inoperative position which is laterally otfset from said plane, and camming means on said type bar actuating linkage adapted to displace and hold said free arm end to and in said inoperative position when said linkageis away from its normal position.

9. A type action comprisinga type bar actuating link-v age, drive means for power operating said. linkage, a

' key operated linkage for controlling the coupling of tlOH.

engagement with said power roll, said means including an arm which structurally is substantially rigid in its ownplane so as to be able to engage and swing said roll ,said type bar actuating linkage with saiddrive means, said key operated linkage including an arm assembly which structurally is substantially rigid in the plane of said type bar actuating linkage so as to be capable of transmitting control movement from said key operated linkage to thereby engage said type bar actuating linkage with said drive means and which is laterally flexible in a direction transverse 'with respect to said plane so as to be movable between operative and inoperative positions, means for deflecting, said arm assembly to its inoperative position in response to the actuation of said type bar actuating linkage, and means for holdingsaid arm assembly in said inoperative position as long. as

said key operated linkageisheld in its operated condi- References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED. STATES. PATENTS Wesley July 22,. .1947 Petz Oct. 31,. 1950 

